If She Had Said Yes
by treadingthewater
Summary: If you were to ask Quinn what had changed her before high school, she'd tell you about the only person to ever reject her. She'd tell you about Rachel.


**A/N: RIB and Fox own all, even me.**

Only one person had ever rejected Quinn Fabray. In her entire 17 years, only one person had ever turned her down.

It was the only person that mattered. The only person Quinn wanted for real, not just for popularity.

In fact, it was this person-the one who rejected her-that started Quinn's journey to the top of the school social ladder.

xxxxx

No one really knew what happened to Quinn to make her the way she was.

Most of the class of 2012 had known each other all their lives. So, it was unspoken knowledge that once upon a time, Quinn was the nicest amongst them.

She helped with homework, boy troubles, girl troubles, family troubles. She cared about everyone's well being. She let everyone know that if they needed something she would always be there for them.

She even stood up to bullies for people she'd never spoken too.

Once upon a time, Quinn had even stood up for Rachel Berry.

No one really knew this, but that's what started it all.

xxxxx

It was the end of eighth grade. Quinn had seen Rachel around, but never paid her much attention.

That changed the day she saw someone throw their drink at the girls face.

She ran from where she was sitting with her best friend, Mercedes, straight to Rachel.

She told off the bully and scared him so much that he ran from her. After that, she helped Rachel get cleaned up and gave her, her extra pair of gym clothes to wear.

She held Rachel as she cried, and silently promised the brunette in her arms she'd protect her from harm.

xxxxx

It was a few weeks later, after casual conversations between classes and text messages from home, that Quinn realized she had a crush.

While her family was always religious and went as far as telling her she shouldn't hang out with Rachel due to the fact that she had two fathers, she didn't care.

Quinn liked Rachel, and though her church and her parents were against it, Quinn didn't care. Rachel made her happy.

She disagreed with her churches point of view, and she figured she just wouldn't tell her parents.

So-she decided-she was going to ask Rachel out.

What she got in return was a lecture on how "just because my fathers are gay, doesn't mean that I'm gay by default."

No one knew this, but that's what started it all.

xxxxx

That's what changed the great, kind girl they all once knew into the ice queen head cheerleader.

The humiliation she felt every time she saw Rachel was too much to handle. Besides, Rachel had insinuated that Quinn was gay. And Quinn Fabray, was in no way shape or form gay.

So what if she liked a girl and wanted to walk her to class and spend her allowance on her; that made her gay? Absolutely not.

Quinn had to change how she acted after that. Really, she had no choice. She couldn't have Rachel walking around thinking that Quinn was gay. She definitely couldn't have Rachel in any position where her words would be believable.

So you see; she _had_ to change. She had to become popular and show Rachel what she was missing. She had to make Rachel the bottom of the school food chain so no one would ever know what happened. Because who would believe the school loser over the school princess?

Once her job was done, Rachel was at the bottom and she at the top, she stopped seeking the brunette out. It hurt her too much-remembering how she silently promised to always protect Rachel, and then purposely causing her pain.

So she stopped. She thought she was done.

Then Finn Hudson became quarterback. Quinn had sworn to herself she was over Rachel, so she started dating him.

She had to. He was quarterback, she was head Cheerio, and so she had to date him. It was one of those unspoken rules in high school.

Then, she found out Rachel had a crush on him.

She felt the humiliation of Rachel's rejection all over. Only this time it was worse. This time she also felt humiliated that Rachel wanted her boyfriend and not her. She could deal with Rachel not wanting her, in fact, she already had.

But wanting her boyfriend? That tore Quinn apart inside.

xxxxx

No one knew it, but that's how she got here today.

That's how all her friends became afraid to speak to her.

Quinn blamed Rachel for everything bad in her life. That's how she got here today.

The pregnancy? Wouldn't have happened if she had said yes.

Pushing all her friends away? Wouldn't have happened if she had said yes.

Becoming the person she used to hate? Wouldn't have happened if she had said yes.

Everything wrong in her life, she traces back to the day in the bathroom when she made a promise to herself.

The fact that she broke that promise, she also blamed on Rachel.

That's why she hated Rachel. She was the only one to ever say no.

xxxxx

If you were to ask Quinn what had changed her so dramatically before high school, she'd tell you about the only person to ever reject her.

She'd tell you about how rejection when she was at her best, turned her into her worst.

She'd tell you about the only one who mattered.

She'd tell you about Rachel.


End file.
